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2014 DACOWITS Committee Members Announced

The Department of Defense announced today the induction of five new members to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS).

The committee, established during the Korean War in 1951 by Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall, is an independent advisory committee that provides the department with advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment and retention, treatment, employment, integration, and well-being of highly qualified professional women in the Armed Forces.

Previously comprised of 11 members, the 2014 charter authorizes a total of 20 committee members.

The incoming members are as follows:

Charlotte G. Dixon, Lutz, Florida

Retired Army Major General John A. Macdonald, Alexandria, Virginia

Retired Navy Force Master Chief Laura Martinez, La Vernia, Texas

Monica Medina, Chevy Chase, Maryland

Brian S. Morrison, Falls Church, Virginia

Additionally, Retired Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston from Mount Savage, Maryland was approved to join the committee and will swear in at a later date.

DACOWITS members include prominent civilian women and men representing a distribution of demography, academia, industry, public service and other professions. Selection is on the basis of experience in the military or with women's-related workforce issues.

Members are selected for a four-year term, without compensation, to perform a variety of duties including visiting military installations each year, conducting a review and evaluation of current research on military women, and developing an annual report with recommendations on these issues for service leadership and the secretary of defense.

More information about DACOWITS can be found at http://dacowits.defense.gov/